Suns Strokes: Win streak snapped with loss to Trail Blazers

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a basketball game. So, we will give you Suns Strokes, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from the Suns’ 96-93 loss to the Trail Blazers on December 22.

The Good:

Marcin Gortat led the offensive charge for the Suns with 18 points and nine rebounds. Shannon Brown added 15 points and three rebounds and Jermaine O’Neal scored 13 with five boards.

Phoenix started strong and had a lead as big as 12 points in the first half but couldn’t hold on for the win.

The Bad:

The Suns’ four-game winning streak was snapped with the loss at Portland.

Michael Beasley was held to just three points in only 10:20 of play Saturday night.

Phoenix shot just 40 percent in the second half and was unable to stage a late comeback.

Noted:

• The Suns shot 50% from the field and three-point range in the first quarter but missed their last 10 three-pointers of the game.

• Jared Dudley had a career-high 10 assists on the night.

• Phoenix has now dropped seven straight regular season games to Portland on the road.

• The Suns’ record on the road is now an abysmal 2-13 for the season.

Up Next:

The Suns return home to face the Los Angeles Clippers at US Airways Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:00 p.m. MST.